RCS launch new Autumn/Winter season

Published: 01/09/2016

RCS announces a new autumn/winter season of unrivalled mix of music, theatre and dance

The curtain goes up on a thrilling new season of performance at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

• A Festive Feast including a magical staging of The Snow Queen, the family fun of Simon’s Magical Christmas Socks, and the much-loved seasonal sing-a-long, Christmas at the Conservatoire plus a host of choral and orchestral celebrations at Christmas
• Political intrigue and double dealing in RCS’s first performance of Handel’s opera, Agrippina
• BBC at RCS BBC Radio Scotland’s St Andrew’s Day celebrations broadcast from RCS plus BBC Radio3 live broadcasts from RCS with performances from pianist Steven Osborne, percussionist Colin Currie and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra
• First ever public performance by D(d)eaf students from the BA Performance in British Sign Language programme
• A rare opportunity to see performance and teaching in action with Nicola Benedetti, Patron of RCS Junior Conservatoire of Music and one of the most sought after violinists in the world, as she presents the first in a series of exclusive public masterclasses

The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS) lifts the curtain on a thrilling and diverse autumn/winter season, offering more than 200 live performances for audiences of all tastes.

Following five star reviews and sell-out audiences for its shows at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, this Christmas, RCS presents its first ever bumper festive line-up for all the family, including a magical production of Hans Christian Anderson’s The Snow Queen, plus, in partnership with the Citizens Theatre, we present the fun-filled family friendly extravaganza Simon’s Magical Christmas Socks. Christmas at the Conservatoire is a seasonal spectacular from our musical theatre students and musicians from across the School of Music. Seasonal Winds present a fun and festive programme of music and there’s seasonal splendour with a performance of the first half of Bach’s glorious Christmas Oratorio at St Mary’s Cathedral.

Throughout the season there will be performances and masterclasses from internationally-renowned artists including violinist Nicola Benedetti, Patron of the RCS Junior Conservatoire of Music. Following her hugely successful RCS international summer school, Play On, Nicola returns to the Conservatoire on October 3 for the first in a series of exclusive masterclasses given by esteemed guest artists from across the globe.

Internationally renowned pianist Steven Osborne, percussionist Colin Currie, and Scottish Chamber Orchestra principal clarinettist Maximiliano Martin, will also perform at RCS as part of the Fridays at One series.

Professor Jeffrey Sharkey, Principal of RCS, said:

“Scotland’s national conservatoire is one of the world’s most diverse performing arts institutions and a place where some of the most exciting young artists, performers and production talent are honing their skills and shaping their performances.

“It’s a pleasure for us to be able to share such a wonderful wealth of performances across the widest possible range of art-forms and involving some fabulous international guest artists. Ours is a warm and open invitation to everyone to come and share in the work of our students, in turn supporting them as they develop as the performers and arts leaders of the future”

The Fridays at One series opens the full season with a range of concerts including the ever popular BBC Radio 3 broadcasts. Also, the Mondays at One concert series kicks off in October with a showcase of keyboard recitals, woodwind, brass and song studio performances.

The BBC Radio 3 Made in Scotland series marks the beginning of a new partnership with our students playing side by side with the great musicians of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. Three live broadcasts are planned for this season.

Continuing with the BBC, BBC Radio Scotland: St Andrew’s Day at RCS is a programme specially created for BBC Radio Scotland by Artistic Director Phil Cunningham featuring award-winning tutor and guitarist Jenn Butterworth and the wonderful students of the traditional music course.

For opera lovers, Handel’s Agrippina is a tale of political intrigue, double dealing, lies, chaos and power hungry individuals whose story is as relevant today as it was when it premiered in Venice in 1709.

RCS Symphony Orchestra is always a treat and this season, the full orchestra welcomes Glasgow boy, Rory MacDonald to conduct a sensational programme of Ravel.

The performers of the ground-breaking BA Performance in British Sign Language programme make their professional RCS debut in December with a dynamic blend of film and theatrical storytelling in Davey Anderson’s darkly comic take on our throw-away society, Scavengers. This is an exciting moment for the industry as these new performers take to the stage to challenge our perceptions of theatre, movement and story-telling.

Following on from the success of last season’s celebration of Shakespeare 400, this year, the Bard is back with a bloody, all-female tale of the original killer couple, Macbeth. Plus, a tale of conflict, power and revenge in a reimagining of Shakespeare’s Coriolanus.

Also this season watch out for the annual cutting edge festival Into the New, as well as a musical journey to the mythical Scottish village of Brigadoon and, for something a little more soothing, the Hilary Rosin Coffee Concerts return for four Sunday morning chamber music concerts with coffee and cake and celebrating the genius of Schubert.

The new season of live performances goes on sale at the RCS Box Office on 12 September 2016. Ticket 26 offers tickets for any RCS show for just £5 for ages 26 and under plus a selection of £5 seats in the New Athenaeum Theatre in the Stevenson Hall for RCS productions. View the full programme and book tickets at rcs.ac.uk/boxoffice or call 0141 332 5057.